Estee Lauder:Pros: Some of the most state-of-the-art moisturizers and serums around; excellent sunscreens and self-tanning products; some good cleansers, toners, and makeup removers; excellent retinol product; several above-standard self-tanning lotions; several categories of makeup excel, including some extraordinary foundations (that include shades for darker skin tones), concealers, powders, blush, and eyeshadows; a mostly good selection of eye, brow, and lip pencils; their long-wearing lip color and some of the lipsticks are supremely good; well-organized tester units.
Cons: Several items are highly fragranced; incomplete and/or problematic products for anyone battling blemishes; no effective AHA or BHA products; many of the Re-Nutriv products are priced too high given similar, less-expensive options from Lauder; some of the sunscreens and foundations with sunscreen lack sufficient UVA protection; the mascaras; the brushes aren’t on par with those from other Lauder-owned lines, such as Bobbi Brown or M.A.C.; some superfluous specialty products and problem pencils; jar packaging.
Estee Lauder Future Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Radiance Eye Creme: ($42 for 0.5 ounce) is a wonderfully rich, elegantly formulated eye cream whose only downfall is jar packaging that compromises the potency of the many antioxidants and other light- and air-sensitive ingredients. The mica and titanium dioxide provide a cosmetic brightening effect to soften the appearance of dark circles under the eye.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara: ($19.50) is Lauder’s version of sister company Clinique’s Lash Power Mascara. Both have similar formulas and claims about long, smudge-proof wear regardless of heat, humidity, or level of activity. This is easily one of Lauder’s most impressive mascaras, and it wears tenaciously. The bonus, at least compared to other long-wearing/waterproof mascaras, is how easy this is to remove. Warm water and agitation alone will do it, but for best results you should follow with your regular cleanser or makeup remover.

Estee Lauder Pure Color EyeShadow: ($17) has been reformulated and, although the previous version was amazingly silky and applied beautifully and color-true, this one is even better. It has an enviable silkiness and ultra-smooth texture that meshes with skin rather than looking like powder sitting on top of it. Another refinement is the departure of the chunky, Lucite containers. Now each shade is packaged in a flat compact that includes a built-in mirror and throwaway sponge-tip applicator. None of the shades sold singly are truly matte, but the almost-matte options (which have a slight reflective quality suitable for daytime wear) include Sand Box, Chocolate, Mink, Taupe, Ivory Box, Plum Pop, and Slate. Sticking to it's pure color name, the rest of the shades include traditional and trendy options, with the following shades being either too difficult to work with or too clownish for anything but high-fashion or theatrical makeup: Ivy, Cherry, Aqua, and Lagoon. Pumpkin is a deep orange shade that is tricky to work with, but, if blended with a deeper brown, is an attractive pairing for darker skin tones.

Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher: There are some notable ingredients in it, but in terms of making skin look better and pores appear smaller, it does so mostly by cosmetic trickery. For example, the strong silicone base instantly makes skin look smoother, so it reflects light better, and it can temporarily fill in large pores and superficial lines. Cosmetic pigments (iron oxides, mica, and titanium dioxide) provide a brightening effect, imparting a “glow” to your skin. Beyond the light show, plant-based anti-inflammatory ingredients help minimize minor redness and antioxidants such as green tea help keep skin protected from free-radical damage. What’s not good news is the inclusion of lavender and orange along with the fragrance components limonene and linalool. They’re present in a greater amount than in the original Idealist, and may be potentially irritating. If you decide to give this a go, it is best for normal to oily skin.